SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:
Amy Tong, 48, of Sacramento, has been appointed Director at the Office of Digital Innovation. Tong has been Director at the California Department of Technology since 2016. She was Chief Deputy Director of the Office of Systems Integration and Agency Chief Information Officer at the California Health and Human Services Agency from 2014 to 2016. Tong was Deputy Director and Chief Information Officer at the California Lottery from 2012 to 2014. She was Chief Technology Officer at the Department of Tax and Fee Administration from 2011 to 2012. Tong was Chief of the Data Center at the California Public Employees’ Retirement System from 2008 to 2011. She earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento. This position does not require Senate confirmation and the compensation is $214,284. Tong is registered without party preference.
James (Jim) McGrath, 72, of Berkeley, has been reappointed to the San Francisco Bay Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2007. McGrath was Environmental Manager at the Port of Oakland from 1990 to 2005. He was Coastal Program Analyst at the California Coastal Commission from 1976 to 1990. McGrath earned a Master of Science degree in Civil Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. McGrath is a Democrat.
Lawrence (Larry) Yee, 73, of Ojai, has been reappointed to the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2012. Yee was a Fulbright Specialist at the University of Caldas in 2017, Co-Founder and President at National Food Commons from 2010 to 2015 and National Program Leader for Food Marketing Systems Innovations at the U.S. Department of Agriculture from 2003 to 2004. He served in several positions at the University of California Cooperative Extension from 1975 to 2008, including Director of the University of California Cooperative Extension, Ventura County and Director of the University of California Hansen Trust. Yee earned a Master of Business Administration degree from Santa Clara University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Yee is a Democrat.
Gregory (Greg) Giusti, 66, of Kelseyville, has been reappointed to the North Coastal Regional Water Quality Control Board, where he has served since 2013. Giusti has been Director and Advisor Emeritus for Forests and Wildland Ecology at the University of California Cooperative Extension since 2017, where he was Director and Advisor of Forests and Wildland Ecology for the University of California, Cooperative Extension from 1985 to 2017. Giusti was Agricultural Biologist at the San Mateo County Department of Agriculture from 1981 to 1985 and Chief Biologist at the Marine Ecological Institute from 1978 to 1981. Giusti has been a registered Professional Forester since 2013. He earned a Master of Arts degree in Ecology and Systematic Biology from San Francisco State University. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Giusti is registered without party preference.
Valerie Quinto, 37, of Santa Rosa, has been reappointed to the North Coastal Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2014. Quinto has been Executive Director at the Sonoma Resource Conservation District since 2017, where she was Program Director from 2012 to 2017. She held several positions at Sotoyome Resource Conservation District between 2009 and 2012 including Project Coordinator and Conservation Project Manager. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Quinto is a Democrat.
L. Carmen Ramirez, 45, of Merced, has been reappointed to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2011. Ramirez has been a Sole Practitioner since 2020. She was Partner at the Law Offices of Kelsey and Ramirez from 2014 to 2020, a Sole Practitioner from 2011 to 2014 and an Attorney at the Law Offices of Fagalde, Albertoni and Flores LLP from 2007 to 2010. Ramirez was a Redevelopment Associate at the City of Merced from 2003 to 2007. Ramirez earned a Juris Doctor degree from the San Joaquin College of Law. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Ramirez is a Democrat.
Essra Mostafavi, 39, of Bishop, has been reappointed to the Lahontan Regional Water Quality Control Board, where she has served since 2021. Mostafavi has been Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Geode Environmental Inc. since 2017. She was Senior Project Manager at VCS Environmental from 2015 to 2017. Mostafavi was Associate Environmental Planner at the California Department of Transportation District 8 from 2012 to 2015. She was a member of the Board of Directors at Global Majority from 2010 to 2012. Mostafavi was Acting County Director at Winrock International in 2010. She earned a Master of Arts degree in International Environmental Policy from Middlebury Institute of International Studies. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $250 per diem. Mostafavi is a Democrat.
Rick Braziel, 61, of Truckee, has been reappointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, where he has served since 2015. Braziel has been President of Rick Braziel Consulting Inc. since 2016 and has been an Instructor at Humboldt State University since 2000 and an Independent Instructor and Consultant since 1995. Braziel was Chief of Police at the Sacramento Police Department from 2008 to 2012, where he held various other positions from 1979 to 2008, including Deputy Chief, Patrol Sergeant, Patrol Watch Commander and Captain. Braziel earned a Master of Arts degree in Communication Studies from California State University, Sacramento and a Master of Arts degree in Security Studies, Homeland Security and Defense from the United States Naval Postgraduate School. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Braziel is registered without party preference.
Robert Doyle, 74, of Novato, has been reappointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, where he has served since 2012 and served from 2006 to 2011. Doyle has been Sheriff of Marin County since 1996 and has served in several positions at the County of Marin Sheriff’s Department since 1969, including Undersheriff, Captain and Deputy Sheriff. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Doyle is a Democrat.
Kelly Gordon, 48, of La Verne, has been appointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Gordon has been Chief of Police at the City of Monterey Park since 2020, where she served as Captain from 2017 to 2020. She served in multiple positions for the City of Montebello Police Department from 2000 to 2017, including Lieutenant, Detective and Training and Personnel Sergeant. Gordon was a Police Officer at the Los Angeles Police Department from 1996 to 2000. She earned a Master of Arts degree in Leadership from Saint Mary’s College. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Gordon is a Democrat.
Tina Nieto, 58, of Monterey, has been appointed to the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Nieto has been Chief of Police at the City of Marina Police Department since 2017. Nieto served in multiple roles for the City of Los Angeles Police Department from 1989 to 2017, including Commanding Officer, Lieutenant in the Consent Decree Unit and District Lieutenant. She earned a Master of Science degree in Leadership and Management from the University of La Verne. This position requires Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Nieto is a Democrat.
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